This was in stark contrast to the air force which suffered casualties on Car Nicobar but managed to land several aircraft just hours after the disaster. In the midst of tragedy there were also some administrative changes. The deputy commissioner at Car Nicobar, G.C. Joshi, was removed. Instead, the administration posted Udipta Ray, the personal secretary to the lieutenant governor, as the new deputy commissioner to oversee relief operations along with Brigadier Devadoss, now appointed overall relief commander on the ground. Also, an existing disaster management cell, headed by an additional district magistrate, folded up when disaster struck. While the administration had a disaster management plan on paper, it was clearly not equipped for a real-life disaster, let alone one of such a magnitude. With communications breaking down, it was left to the Andaman & Nicobar tri-services command to take the initial lead in relief operations.